Hulu + Live TV features a comprehensive offering of the most popular sports across its more than 95 channels, including NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAA, international soccer, UFC, and more. In addition to games airing on local channels, there are several sporting events to watch regularly on ESPN, CBS Sports Network, NFL Network, and FS1, just to name a few.

Since Hulu + Live TV also includes the Disney Bundle as part of its monthly subscription price, you'll also gain access to ESPN Unlimited which unlocks all ESPN chanels, additional exclusive sporting events (like UFC and college sports), original programming, and more.

Hulu + Live TV also includes a three-day free trial, so you can test out the service before you use it.

ESPN Unlimited With NFL+ Premium

Best for Streaming Live NFL Games

ESPN Unlimited is still a new service, but as of September 3 you can now choose to bundle it with NFL+ Premium. This new streaming option comes after ESPN announced it was acquiring NFL Network back in August. The service will include everything available on ESPN Unlimited as well as the full suite of coverage from NFL+ Premium for $39.99. You can also choose to bundle this with Disney+ and Hulu for a limited time.

This new streaming service won't have all of the NFL games available, but it will have most of them. Access to ESPN channels will get you Monday Night Football while the NFL+ Premium subscription will get you access to local and primetime games as well as NFL RedZone on Sundays. The main downside is that NFL+ only allows you to watch these games live on your phone or tablet.

Fubo

Best Variety

Fubo may not be a household name, but it's our pick for the best variety of sporting events to stream. It features more than 55,000 sporting events per year including NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, NCAA college sports, NASCAR, golf, tennis, boxing, MMA events, and much more. Additionally, international soccer fans can enjoy popular options such as Premier League, LaLiga, UEFA Champions League, Ligue 1, Liga MX, and Serie A.

If you're itching for even more sports programming, Fubo also has various sports add-on packages that include extra channels such as NFL Redzone, MLB.TV, NBA League Pass, a number of international sports channels, and many NCAA conference-specific channels. If you want to try out the service before you commit, there is a fubo seven-day free trial available for new subscribers.

While Fubo is still a standalone streaming service, it's worth noting that the company is in the process of selling to Disney. According to recent reports, that sale is expected to happen sometime in early 2026. This sale would see Hulu + Live TV combining with Fubo eventually.

Peacock

Best For Premier League Soccer and WWE

Since Peacock is owned by parent company NBC Universal, you'll have plenty of sports at your fingertips to stream with this subscription. Premier League soccer, arguably one of the most popular sports worldwide, is widely available to stream on Peacock. With season-long live coverage and exclusive matches available, you'll be able to catch the biggest matches from the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, and more.

For fans of WWE, Peacock is a no-brainer as it's the exclusive live streaming home for every WWE premium event including Wrestlemania. But that's not all Peacock has to offer as you'll also be able to catch every NFL Sunday Night Football game as well as Big Ten college basketball.

Although Peacock doesn't currently offer a free trial, there are occasionaly subscription deals for the service that drop the price pretty significantly.

ESPN Unlimited

Best for ESPN Networks

ESPN has officially launched a new streaming service that includes the full suite of ESPN Networks in one package. ESPN Unlmited has expanded what the previous service, ESPN+, had offered prior. In addtion to original content, the new service includes the following channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+ and ACCNX.

ESPN also recently reached a deal with the NFL that will eventually bring the NFL Network over to the service. There was also a new agreement reached with WWE that will bring WrestleMania to ESPN Unlimited sometime in 2026. So while this service is still fairly new, there's more expected to arrive on it next year.

An ESPN Unlimited subscription is $29.99 per month or $299.99 annually. New subscribers also have the option to sign up a Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited bundle at no extra cost for the first 12 months. If you're looking for just the content offered on ESPN+ previously, you can choose to sign up for the cheaper ESPN Select plan.

DirecTV Stream

Best Cable Alternative

DirecTV Stream is the satellite-free offering from DirecTV that anyone can sign up for. This streaming-only option includes everything you'd expect from a cable alternative including local networks and popular sports channels such as ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN U, NBC Golf, FS1, NBA TV, MLB Network, and the Tennis Channel.

For sports fans specifically, the DirecTV Choice package is the best bang for your buck, providing access over 125 channels, including major nationwide games and a strong selection of regional sporting events based on your location.

For new subscribers, DirecTV Stream has a five-day free trial that lets you test out the service. DirecTV Stream is also our top pick for streaming NBA games live.

Paramount Plus

Best for PGA Golf

Paramount+ offers all the sports content you'd expect from CBS Sports, including NFL on CBS games and every UEFA Champions League soccer match. Along with a library of sports movies and TV shows, Paramount+ provides daily programming from CBS Sports HQ, documentaries, and more.

For golf fans, upgrading to the Paramount+ with Showtime plan is a great option, as it includes everything in the Essential tier and adds access to major PGA Tour events like the Farmers Insurance Open and the Wyndham Championship.

Paramount+ actually does offer a free trial for new subscribers and is a great way to get sports and other streaming favorites. Paramount is the home of franchises like Sonic the Hedgehog, SpongeBob, and new South Park episodes, so it's a good one to try for free if you haven't already.

Paramount has also recently reached a deal with UFC that will bring the sport to Paramount+. This is a seven year deal that is expected to begin in 2026.

MLB.TV

Best for out-of-market MLB games

Major League Baseball games are available with almost all of the streaming services on this list, but no service has everything. Due to various licensing agreements, it's impossible to find all MLB games on a single service, but an MLB.TV subscription will get you the most. For $94.99 a year or $29.99 a month you'll get access to every out-of-market game. This includes both the the regular season and offseason games.

If you want to test out the service to see what kind of coverage you'll get, there is a 7-day free trial currently available.

Sports Streaming FAQs

Can You Watch Live Sports For Free?

Yes, you can watch select live sports for free. Although, the type of sport and frequency varies significantly. You can access local channels with a TV antenna and watch many popular sporting events including NFL, MLB, and NBA games, just to name a few, over the air. Streaming services like Sling Freestream also offer ad-supported access to certain live sports.

Which Sports Streaming Services Have Free Trials?

Just about every sports streaming service mentioned above has a free trial you can take advantage of. Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, DirecTV Stream, and Paramount+ all have trials that range from three days to a week. And, if you time it well, you may even be able to watch multiple live sporting events that you're interested in during the free trial period. The only outliers currently without a free trial are Peacock and ESPN+, although the latter is available as part of the Hulu + Live TV free trial.

If you're looking to stream more than just sports, check out our list of the best streaming services with free trials in 2025 or more specifically dive into the live TV services with free trials list we've curated.

Matthew Adler is a Commerce, Features, Guides, News, Previews, and Reviews writer for IGN. You can follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch.